Survey finds strong support for 'dreamers'

Source: The Washington Post

By Scott Clement and David Nakamura September 25 at 7:00 AM

Majorities of Americans strongly support two potential components of immigration legislation this fall, including deportation protections for younger undocumented immigrants and requiring employers to verify workers are in the United States legally, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

The findings suggest that President Trump and Congress might have a path to a major deal on immigration reform that has eluded Washington for three decades. Trump has said he is open to compromise with Democrats on a bill that would provide legal status for immigrants brought to the country illegally as children, known as “dreamers,” combined with tougher border security measures.

The Post-ABC survey finds 86 percent support for dreamers who had been eligible for renewable two-year work permits under a deferred action program started by President Barack Obama to remain in the country. Trump’s administration announced this month that it will end the program, known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, and begin to phase out work permits in March if lawmakers do not act.

-snip-

More than two-thirds of adults — 69 percent — support the DACA program “strongly,” which was described as allowing undocumented immigrants to stay in the United States if they had arrived as a child, had completed high school or served in the military and had not committed a serious crime. In a follow-up question, 65 percent back a law that would both allow dreamers to remain in the country and increase funding for border security. The poll did not measure public opinion about whether the dreamers should be offered a path to citizenship, a prospect GOP immigration hawks have called amnesty